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The Final Countdown

To get an A on the exam, you have to B prepared. Here are ten tips to get you ready.

10. Get a good night’s sleep. Unplug at least an hour before bed, and wind down by reading a book. Posting pictures of your cat on Facebook can wait until the morning.

9. Eat a good breakfast. Don’t skimp on this one. A rumbling stomach during a final can be extremely distracting and lead to poor focus and poor performance.

8. Don’t cram the night before. Plan a little time each day to study for your exams to avoid the all-nighters which can hurt your grades and your health. With proper planning, cramming should never be necessary.

7. Be on time. Being punctual is always important, especially for tests. You will have more time to take the test, and you won’t distract your classmates.

6. Turn off the internet if it is not necessary during your study sessions.

5. Find a quiet place to study. If you study in your room, you will be easily distracted and will not grasp the concepts as well. Go to the library or a coffee shop with minimal noise and distractions.

4. Ask your professor for help. If there is something you are struggling with in particular, ask the professor to help explain it.

3. Find ways to study that suit your style. If you are a visual learner, go back over notes or powerpoints. If you are an auditory learner, grab a friend and re-read sections aloud. If you’re a hands-on learner, make flash cards.

2. Once the test is finished, it’s finished. Don’t spend your break dwelling on what you could have changed. Finals are important, but they will not determine the rest of your life. As long as you know you did the best you could, that’s all that matters.

1. Believe in yourself. Ever heard of self-fulfilling prophecies? If you think you are going to do well, chances are you will do well. If you think you’ll do poorly, you will probably do poorly. Stay positive!